Rock
by Dash-Rendar
Summary: A new mutant has been discovered after a fight at school. He runs away to join the Xavier Institute, where he will learn about his powers, make friends and fight EVIL! R & R!
1. Chapter 1

X-Men

A New Friend

Chapter 1

Jedda

A/N: Hello all X-Men lovers! I am new to this domain on FanFiction, and I hope you enjoy this story. I will let you know that this is actually an RPG I have going with Darkness1, so updates will come as soon as a section is completed in the online version.

I will also be using Darkness1's character Archon, who you will near the middle of the story.

A line of dashes together signifies a scene or time shift, or the start and end of chapters.

Again, hope you enjoy this. Please read and review!

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Our story begins in the Eastern part of Canada. Aylesford, Nova Scotia to be precise. It is the year 2006, going into 2007. A tall teen with black hair and gray eyes is walking through the hallways of his school, a black backpack slung over the shoulder of his black Green Day hoodie. He was also wearing his favorite black jeans, studded bracelets, and skate shoes. The bell for lunch had just rung and he was heading outside to sit by his lonesome to eat.

"Hey Jedda. Been looking for ya, you Gothic creep." A voice called from behind him. A tall teen with red hair and a lot of freckles came up behind the black clad boy and fell into step beside him.

Pulling his hood up over his face, he reached the exit and pushed the door open as he said, "I'm not in the mood to deal with your crap right now Nick. Buzz off." The door was about to shut, but Nick Dill pushed it open again.

Seeing his buddies, Nick said, "Hey, look guys, it's Jedda Dirnt, the chicken! He's running away again!" They all laughed stupidly, as most of the group was all brawn, no brains.

"I am not a chicken. I just don't want to fight you. I am not a violent person, unless I need to be." Jedda kept walking and plunked his backpack down and rummaged through it to find his lunch kit.

A series of chicken noises and gestures came from back by the door. "Do you understand that, chicken?" Nick taunted.

Jedda finally said, "Okay, you wanna fight? Come and take your best shot." He stood there, arms spread, inviting Nick to hit him.

Nick chuckled loudly. "This is going to be fun." He rolled his sleeves up and cracked his knuckles before closing into striking distance. A fist came in, aimed at the teen's face.

At the last second, Jedda rolled to the right, the fist passing near centimeters from where his face had been. "That the best you got?" He said, cracking his neck.

The next move that came was a hammer strike, quickly and hard, hitting Jedda in the face, his nose dripping blood.

After wiping his nose off, Jedda growled, "You're going to wish you hadn't done that." He put his weight onto his back foot and sent a right foot snap kick at Nick's stomach, who caught the foot and spun him around.

"Let's see if chickens are flightless or not," the punk said, releasing after a full 360º rotation.

Upon release, Jedda tucked his legs under his body and rolled in the air twice before landing solidly on his feet. He immediately ran at Nick and put a return hammer strike into the teen's face, breaking his nose with a loud crack.

Holding his now bleeding nose, Nick said, "You broke my bloody nose! You're dead meat, you Gothic creep!" He lashed out and sent a kick into Jedda's stomach, a loud thump sounding in the immediate area. By now, a crowd had gathered and was watching the fight with growing interest.

Jedda wheezed loudly as all the air in his system left in one go. After a couple of forced inhales, he hissed, "That's the final straw. We're going to the next level." A green glow surrounded his hands and his eyes matched the color.

"What the heck is going on with your eyes? Freak." Nick said, still in fight mode.

Jedda hissed, "Let's see if chickens can fly." The ground started to shake under Nick's feet. A few seconds later, the ground shot up, sending Nick flying into the air and landed three feet away with a loud thunk.

Everyone now was murmuring the word "mutant." The murmur soon became a roar and a stampede of people running away, a few pulling out cell phones and calling 911.

Jedda powered down, his eyes and hands returning to normal. "Crap. Smooth Jedda; activate your earth powers in public. Now you could get arrested." He slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed back into the school.

Meanwhile, a dark cloaked figure moved around, keeping an eye on him behind his black sunglasses. Nobody even noticed him. Kids were used to seeing weird looking people around school.

Jedda heard the sirens now. "Oh boy. Better get outta here." He quickly ran to his locker, popped the lock open and stuffed all his stuff into his backpack and bolted out the doors, went out into the woods, just as the police cruiser came around the corner, missing him by mere seconds. After a few minutes, he came out, ran around the corner and saw the local bus getting ready to leave. Putting his last bit of energy into a sprint, he made it into the bus, paid for his fee to the city of Halifax and sat down.

Nobody on the bus bothered him any, as his MP3 player was on and his headphones were in his ears. The volume was slightly above half, so only the people next to him could hear the vocals of Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day and all of their music from Warning to Homecoming.

Oddly enough, the figure was following the bus, but nobody noticed that he was levitating a few inches off the ground.

About an hour and a half later, the bus screeched to a halt at the Halifax bus terminal and Jedda grabbed his stuff and walked out, looking around for a second before trying to find a nearby food joint so he could grab a bite to eat. Not having to look long, he came across a McDonalds. He walked in and ordered a Double Big Mac with large fries and a large Coke. He paid for the meal and ate quickly before heading back onto the street.

He walked down the sidewalk, eyeing a local music store quickly before walking right into the back of a tall, bald headed tattooed punk with a logo of a dragon with 5 stars under it on his shirt.

"Sorry man. Didn't see ya there." Jedda said and moved to go around him, but the guy blocked him in.

"I don't think so shrimp. You just harassed me and I hate being harassed. Want a knuckle sandwich for dinner?" The guy cracked his knuckles loudly.

Jedda was still trying to get away from the guy as he said, "Hey, I'm not looking for any trouble man. It was an accident. Live with it."

The punk shook his head. "You shoulda thought to look where you were going then, pal." He lashed out quickly with a leather boot to Jedda's stomach.

Jedda wheezed for the second time today as the air left his body once again. 'Only one punk. I might be able to take him,' he thought to himself, just as two other punks, one Mexican and one black, walked out from a nearby alley. 'Crap. Scratch that thought. This is going to be harder that I thought.' He put his body into a natural fighting stance, his left leg stretched behind him, right leg extended, hands mimicking the legs.

"Hey, guys. Wanna beat the crap outta a kid? Be my guest." The first punk, who appeared to be a leader said, leaning against a wall, smiling evilly.

The black kid was the first to make a move, pulling a set of brass knuckles out of his pocket and slipped them over his fingers and moved to punch Jedda's lights out.

Jedda moved a bit to the left and sent a snap kick into his assailant's stomach, who coughed loudly. Just as he was about to punch him, another two thugs came out of an alley. "Okay, time to go to the next level." He powered up, eyes and hands once again glowing green. He was just about to punch a man's jaw when a voice came from the shadows.

"I would not do that if I were you, son." A man in a black suit and matching overcoat came out yet another alley. Despite it being around 8:00, the man was wearing sunglasses. "Five full grown men against a kid? That's hardly fair odds. Accept his apology and go home."

Jedda asked, "Who the heck are you, pal?" He remained powered up, eyes still glowing a violent green.

"My name is not important. What is important is that you should mind that these buildings could come crashing down on us at any second if you continue to fight this way." The man walked closer to him and the local punks.

"Stay outta this Mister High and Mighty," the leader said, throwing a punch into the older man's stomach. Imagine his surprise when the dark clad man didn't even flinch.

Looking at the punk over the rims of his sunglasses, he asked, "That the best you got? I've seen grandmothers with more strength in their pinkie toe."

The second punk had come back with a chain, tipped with a sharp spike. With a war cry, he ran at the stranger, swinging the chain a few times before chucking it at the stranger's legs, attempting to bring him to the ground.

"Kids these days, they don't know how to fight," the stranger said, stepping on the chain, and spun on his foot, his left foot snapping into the teen's face, breaking his nose with a loud CRACK!

The other two punks ran off, leaving the leader standing with Jedda and the stranger. It wasn't long before he ran off screaming, "You're a freak man! A FREAK!" at the top of his lungs. Soon the street was empty, except the dark clad man and Jedda.

"Impressive display kid. Not many people would try and duke it out with those high odds." The man said, adjusting his glasses as he walked and talked. "But then again, you're not just anybody, are you?" To Jedda, he suddenly seemed a little more threatening.

"Hey, back off pal. You also didn't answer my question. Who are you?" Jedda asked, powering down, eyes returning to his original gray color.

"I already said my name is not important. What is important is who 'you' are. A mutant, a _scared_ mutant on top of that. Scared of yourself. Isn't that right, Mr. Dirnt?"

Jedda's head jerked back in surprise. "You know my name? That is a bit creepy and I still don't know yours. Makes me feel more comfortable, if you get my drift." He stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"I already said that my name is meaningless to one such as you. Right now, I don't exist and I tend to keep it that way for as long as needed. All you need to know is that I am just like you, a man of unknown powers." He reached up and removed his sunglasses, revealing his purple eyes, staring directly at Jedda like glowing lights in the dark night. "You've yet to master your true potential. I'm here to offer you a path, the right path."

"How do I know that?" Jedda asked. "You could be some evil wacko bent on taking over the world, for all I know. I ain't going nowhere 'till I get some more information." He sat down on a nearby bench. "We got all the time in the world, man."

The stranger chuckled. "I like your spirit kid. You remind me of myself when I was younger." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card with some writing on it. "A few miles outside of New York City, you'll find a city called Bayville. Take the bus to a place called Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters, a school right up your alley. You'll find the guidance you need to learn to control your powers. Use your powers for good." He passed Jedda the card and turned to leave. "Oh, and if I catch you messing with your powers and using them to hurt innocent people, I'll be back to take care of you, if you get my drift."

"Don't suppose you can spare me some cash? I'm a little short right now," Jedda said, chuckling a little bit.

"I suppose I could do that. Here's $500. That should cover bus fair, some meals and new clothes along the way." The stranger said, passing him a manila envelope that was bulging slightly from all the cash stuffed into it.

"What's wrong with my clothes, pal?" Jedda asked huffily, eyeing his all black outfit and bracelets.

The stranger replied, "People in this town know you. You want to slip out unnoticed, take my advice." He replaced his sunglasses and continued, "If you prove to be worthy by studying and training well, you'll hear from me when you turn 18. Until then, I don't exist." He rose a few inches off the ground and levitated off.

Jedda shrugged, walking off to find the nearest bus terminal out of here and into New York. He slung his backpack back on and started whistling a Green Day tune.

After hours of bus hopping and four hundred dollars later, Jedda was standing out front a huge mansion with iron gates in the front. Taking a deep breath, he rang the buzzer on the front of the gate and said, "Anybody home?"

A few seconds later, a gruff voice answered, "Yeah, who is this?"

"I was sent here by some unknown dude with purple eyes to talk to…" Jedda paused for a second to look at the card and find the name. "Professor Charles Xavier?"

The voice responded, "Not what I asked ya, bub."

Jedda responded nervously, "Jedda Dirnt. Who are you, bub?"

The gates groaned open as the guy responded, "Names Logan kid and we've been expecting you."

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A/N: Well, hope you all enjoyed it so far. Please read and review!

Love, peace and chicken grease!

Dash


	2. The Institute

X-Men

Rock

Chapter 2

The Institute

A/N: Hey guys! I'm back with the next chapter of Rock! Thanks to the only two people who reviewed so far, icydragon14 and Elevanya. I will attempt to read some of your works in the near future.

Updates will be slow in coming. Darkness1 isn't on MSN too much these days because of his military duties in Norway, so I only see him for about three or four days at a time and usually only have about an hour to chat with him. One can only accomplish so much RPGing in an hour.

Now, onto the new chapter! Jedda will meet Professor X in this chapter and decide whether or not to stay at the Institute or not. Hope you all enjoy!

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Jedda looked around at the neatly kept grounds as he walked up the long and winding driveway. Eventually, he reached the front doors and saw a tall man with dark hair and eyes that had a mischievous glint to them.

"You must be that Dirnt kid. Nice to see some new faces every now and again," the man said, arms crossed over his chest, legs spread.

Jedda nodded and took the giant stairs two at a time and eventually was standing eye to eye with the man. "I'm Jedda. Logan was it?" He extended a hand, which the man called Logan accepted gratefully.

"I am he. Well, enough standing around. I'll take you in to see the big man himself. When we get there, just walk in. I'm sure he'll be expecting you by now." Logan opened the huge double doors behind him, leading Jedda through gigantic hallways with oak panels on the walls, winding staircases and traces of laughter coming from various places. Logan quickly stuck his head into a room and barked something at whoever was inside before continuing onwards and stopped at some double doors with a bronze nameplate. PROF. CHARLES XAVIER. "I'll leave ya here. Catch ya later kid." He turned and walked away, fishing a cigar and a lighter out of his pocket as he did so.

Jedda smiled. He had to admit, he liked Logan. Shaking his head, he opened the door and walked in, seeing a bald man in a blue business suit sitting by the window… in a wheelchair. "Professor Xavier?" Jedda asked, moving to stand in front of the desk in the center of the room.

The man looked up from the book he was reading and wheeled over to his desk. "Ah, Jedda Dirnt I presume. Please, have a seat," Charles said after shaking Jedda's hand. "Would you like something to drink? I'm sure you've had a long journey."

Jedda nodded. "A Coke if you have one, thanks." He sat down in a leather chair situated to see out the window and talk to Charles at the same time. "Mind if I ask you a question?"

The professor shook his head as he produced a bottle of Coke from under his desk, presumably from a small fridge. "Not at all. Ask away." He slid Jedda the pop and turned to pour himself a mug of tea.

"Who the heck was the guy with the purple eyes that you sent after me?" He opened the bottle and took a long swig, smacking his dry lips with a satisfied sigh.

Charles smiled and laughed heartily. "Purple eyes… Oh yes! I'm afraid he left specific instructions not to reveal his name just yet." He took a sip of his tea and replaced the mug into the saucer. "I'm sure you have lots of other questions, young Dirnt." He leaned back in his wheelchair a bit, steepling his fingers together under his chin.

"I'm not meaning to be rude with this question, but how did you end up in a wheelchair? Just curious." Jedda said, taking another swig of pop. He looked around the room quickly before looking back at Charles for his answer.

"Oh, don't worry about being rude son. Everyone asks that. I actually took a grenade to my back in Northern Vietnam and lost the feeling in my legs. I've been here ever since."

Jedda nodded. "Sorry about that sir. Must be hard. Anyways, next question, how did Ol' Purple Eyes here find me? Not like you've got a machine that can track down mutants." He laughed and cracked his neck to the side. "Sorry, bad habit."

"Oh, no problem at all. Actually, I do have a computer that can pinpoint all the mutants on Earth at any given time. It's called Cerebro." He took another sip of tea and continued, "I contacted our mutual friend who was in the area and you know the rest."

Jedda nodded again. "Fair enough. Okay, second last question, what can you do, in terms of mutant abilities?"

"I am actually the strongest telepath on Earth, meaning I can read minds. I have a policy though; I don't poke around in people's minds without their permission."

"Oh that makes me feel so much better," Jedda said sarcastically. "Care to prove your telepathy? Let's see you tell me what I'm thinking." He concentrated on a random thought that popped into his head and sat with as neutral a face as he could muster.

With a second of staring at Jedda, Charles responded, "You're wondering about 'Old Purple Eyes' name and trying to find a way to trick it out of me." He saw the look of surprise on the youth's face and felt a thought change. "Now you're wondering if the guy at school triggered your powers on purpose."

Jedda nodded. "Correct on both counts sir." He finished what was left of his drink and said, "Well, I've heard from Purple Eyes this is a good place to be. Care to give me the official and unofficial tour before I decide whether or not to stick around?" He rose and stretched quickly.

Charles nodded. "Of course, but do me a favor. Don't mention "Purple Eyes" again outside this room. Most people here don't know about his existence… yet." He wheeled out from behind his desk and nodded at the door. "Would you mind son?"

Jedda walked over to the door and held it open for the man. He nodded as the professor thanked the youth on his way past. He fell in step beside the balding man as the tour started at the main floor's common room, library, kitchen and dining room.

"The kitchen is always open to you at all times during the day. Every morning at 8:00, you will join every student here for breakfast and again at 5:30 for dinner. Plates and silverware are not to leave this room." He indicated the glass doors that lead out the grounds. "Follow me and I'll show you the soccer field and other things that the students seem to love."

Jedda shrugged and followed him out to the huge soccer field and is jaw nearly dropped. "That thing must be a full sized field! Man, I haven't seen one this big since the Fifa Cup in 2005!" He continued to follow Charles out to the basketball court and the swimming pool and ended the outside tour at the cliff that plummeted off into the ocean below. Various pieces of equipment, such as Bo staves and boxing equipment, were lying around. He asked, "So, heard a rumor flying around that you guys have a jet of some sort?"

Charles nodded, "All in due time, Mr. Dirnt. That belongs to the lower levels. Follow me, if you please." He went back into the house and stopped at a panel of wood and pushed it in to reveal an elevator. They entered, the door closed and the elevator descended quickly with an audible hum. When the doors opened, all Jedda saw was huge linoleum walls and floors. Charles wheeled himself out and pointed to a wall filled with black outfits with silver belts with large X's on them.

"What's with the interesting uniforms?" Jedda asked, staring at them with intense interest.

"When, and if, people prove themselves worthy, we give them their own uniform to join a team we've dubbed the X-Men. Members used to be able to customize their own uniforms, but that proves itself to be too costly. We now have a basic uniform that is mass produced."

Jedda nodded and pointed to the door across from him, with a small eye port at Charles' eye level. "Is that the hangar?"

Charles shook his head. "No, that is actually where Cerebro is housed, my boy. Now, next to that is a training room the students have dubbed "The Danger Room. If you stay with us, you'll see that soon enough. Now, you wanted to see the hangar. It's right here." He turned a corner and it lead to a huge flat space where the black X-Jet sat, looking like something directly out of a science fiction movie. "This jet is made from a titanium alloy compound, making it undetectable by conventional radar. We also added some cloaking technology to the ship, making it invisible to the naked eye if need be."

Jedda was walking around the ship, staring at it with fascination. "You somehow managed to trap the sub wave harmonics in the paintjob, thus rebounding the radar pings. Nice job Professor." He looked at him, eyes glinting with childish delight at the sight of such a beautiful machine. "Can I have a look in the cockpit?"

The elderly man shook his head. "I'm afraid not son. I'm fairly certain you're not qualified as a pilot, so you'll have to wait until you become a member of the team to catch a glimpse of the interior. Come back out into the hall, will you son?"

Jedda sighed, turning to get one last glance at the gleaming black jet and walked back into the hallway. As soon as he left, the door hissed closed behind him and a loud clank echoed through the hall. "So, any closing comments Professor?" He turned to look at the man.

"One thing my boy. Since you are new to the area, it would be wise to not walk these hallways without an escort," Charles said, steepling his fingers.

Jedda asked, "If I do chose to stay, which I probably will, will I be taking regular school classes as well as my mutant training?"

Charles started to wheel down the hallway as he responded. "Yes, you will attend Bayville High School. All of our students attend there as well, but until we have secured you a spot there, Mr. McCoy will tutor you. Come, you will meet him." He stopped in front of a door and whispered, "Don't be alarmed. He looks somewhat… different." Lifting a hand, Charles rapped on the door sharply. "HANK! WE HAVE A VISITOR!"

The door hissed open and a voice called, "Come on in Charles. I'll be with you in a minute!" A muffled explosion followed by a curse came as Charles and Jedda entered the room. A cough came from a black cloud of smoke and a large blue furred beast with small glasses emerged.

Charles nodded at Jedda and said, "Here's the new student I was telling you about."

The beast, apparently named Hank, looked at him and asked, "Is he the one…"

Charles cut him off. "Yes, Hank. I just said that. Anyways, I'll let you get acquainted." He wheeled away from them to let them talk.

Hank put forth a large blue furred hand. "Welcome. Nice to see some fresh recruits around here. My name is Doctor Hank McCoy, also known by most as Beast, although I can't figure out why." He laughed.

Jedda shook his hand with more courage then he felt and laughed with him. "I'm Jedda Dirnt, nice to meet you Dr. McCoy," he said respectfully.

Beast nodded. "Likewise you can be sure." He looked at Charles, who wheeled back over.

"Until I can assure Mr. Dirnt a spot at the high school, would you mind tutoring him? I'm sure you could use that change for a bit," he laughed, a twinkle in his eyes.

Hank nodded. "Of course, that is always the case. Come to me with the freshman. I will do it." He held up both "hands" and shrugged.

Jedda looked at the Professor and said, "Well, I've made up my mind Professor. I'm going to stick around. I just wish I had grabbed my guitar first." He laughed.

Hank said, "If you head up to the attic, you'll find my old guitar up there. I used to play it all the time, but had to quit. Strings don't react well with claws, if you know what I mean."

Jedda nodded. "Thanks a lot, Doctor." He looked at Xavier again. "You got somewhere I can catch some zees? I'm a bit bushed after all the touring and the bus rides here."

Xavier wheeled back into the hallway, saying, "Follow me."

Jedda turned and was about to leave, but said, "Thanks for the guitar loan Hank. Hopefully, I'll be able to get some money out of my bank account soon and buy my own."

The giant beast smiled. "You're quite welcome lad. Now, go get some rest. You'll need it. We have a fresh lesson all lined up for you."

Jedda left the room, the door clanking shut behind him. He reached the elevator and Charles hit the 2nd floor button. The doors hissed shut and the elevator began its smooth ascent to the floor, gliding to a stop. The doors popped open, revealing a long hallway with wood panels. Charles wheeled to a room and stopped, pushing the door open to reveal a room with hardwood flooring, a bookcase, a dresser, and a nightstand in between two double beds.

"This is where you will be staying. You have a roommate, one of our older recruits. His name is Kurt Wagner and he obviously isn't here right now, but I'm sure he won't mind. I'll warn you, he is also blue and fuzzy, so don't be alarmed when you see him." He wheeled away and Jedda flopped onto the mattress to grab some much-deserved rest.

About twenty minutes later, the door creaked open and in walked Kurt Wagner, nose stuck in a thick novel. He closed the door behind him, using his tail. He didn't even notice the 15-year old that was sleeping away.

Jedda stirred, hearing noises in the room. He opened his eyes groggily and saw the blue mutant still reading his book. Sitting up, he asked, "Kurt Wagner, I presume?"

The blue boy yelped like a dog getting stepped on and dropped his book to the floor with a loud thud. After catching his breath, he said, in English with a German accent, "My God! You almost gave me a heart attack!" He picked up the book absent mindedly with his tail and asked, "You are the new kid, yes?"

Jedda nodded. "Yup. My name's Jedda. Nice to meet ya." He extended a hand and Kurt put forth a three-fingered hand that was covered in blue fur with short claws. They shook briefly.

Kurt asked, "So, you are my new roomie. How do you like this place so far?" He sat down on the other bed and turned to face his roommate.

Jedda shrugged. "The institute isn't too bad I guess. It's quite homey actually. Do me a favor will ya? Remind me to head up to the attic later. I need to hunt down an acoustic guitar that's lurking around there somewhere," he said, crossing his legs beneath him.

Kurt's eyes lit up. "Ah, Hank's guitar. I was hoping someone would bring that down into the light." He added, "So, what are your powers, if you don't mind my asking."

Jedda smiled and responded, "Just as long as you don't mind answering the same question."

Kurt smiled and disappeared with a puff of smoke and a loud BAMF! He later reappeared on the other side of the room, standing on the ceiling, grinning like a child in a candy store. "That answer your question?"

"Teleportation. Nice." Jedda's eyes shifted to green and a small chunk of dirt came and hovered in front of the window for a few seconds before flying back down to where it came, looking like nothing had happened to the lawn.

"Nice. Just don't ruin the whole lawn," Kurt said, popping back down to the other bed, sitting cross-legged, his tail curled around his waist.

Jedda laughed. "I'll try not to. So, how did you figure out about your powers, if you don't mind my asking."

Kurt's eyes seemed to dull in color at the question and he replied very softly, "Actually, that is something I would like to keep to myself. Nothing personal."

Jedda nodded. "No problem. I can respect that." Just then, his stomach growled loudly and he glanced at his watch. "When is dinner around here? I'm starved!"

"Pretty soon, actually. I think Ororo has cooked something very yummy today." Kurt smiled, thinking of the savory flavor of her cooking.

Jedda asked, "Ororo? Who is that?" He rose, seeing the clock read 6:00 PM. "Dinnertime I'm guessing?" He asked, hearing the sound of thudding footfalls outside the door.

Kurt smiled. "That it is. Here, we'll get down there before everyone else." The blue elf grabbed onto his new roommate and disappeared in a black cloud of smoke. They instantly reappeared in the kitchen, Jedda feeling incredibly woozy.

"Whoa, man. My head feels weird." He staggered over to the table and sat down in a chair.

Kurt smiled, showing his pointed teeth as he laughed heartily. "The first couple times are always weird, if you get my drift. After dinner, teleportation in not advised for first-timers. The results were quite… messy, to say the least." He was about to continue, when a tall, dark woman came out of the kitchen, her white hair flowing behind her.

"Kurt, how many times have I told you not to poof into the dining room? It takes days for the smell of sulfur to clear out, even with the windows open." She took notice of Jedda and asked, "Jedda Dirnt, I presume? I'm Ororo. You'll see more of me soon enough, believe me." She turned and walked into the kitchen, coming back out with a large tray holding plates and glasses. She quickly and efficiently set the table, dinner already cooling on the plates, glasses empty. She whisked back into the kitchen and came back with two pitchers, one filled with juice and the other with milk.

Just then, the other students came in and found places at the table, two girls sitting across from the boy and the elf. The first was short, had black hair that was in a ponytail and blue eyes. The other had red hair with a white stripe near her right eye, green eyes and gloves on her hands for some reason that was beyond Jedda. He nodded at both of them and said, "I'm Jedda. Nice to meet ya." He put out a hand, which the first girl shook, but the other merely 'Humph'-ed him.

Kurt leaned over and whispered in his ear, "She can't touch people without killing a normal human or temporarily gaining a mutant's powers. Don't expect any physical contact from her anytime soon." He started eating his meal, which consisted of cooked chicken, rice and vegetables.

"So, I'm, like Kitty Pride. I'm known to most as Shadowcat, but, like, you'll find out why soon enough." The first girl said, waving to get his attention. She was fiddling with her hair, eyes showing curiosity. "I heard that we'd be, like, you know, getting a new student soon. I just didn't expect you to be here so soon."

Jedda had finished his meal, downed his glass of milk and said, "Nice to meet you Kitty. No offense, but I'm going to turn in. I'm a bit tired." He rose, nodding a goodbye to the others. He was going upstairs when he remembered the guitar. He found the nearest elevator, went to the top floor and found the trap door leading upwards. Jumping, he caught the dangling string and pulled. The stairs fell out of the ceiling, landing on the carpeted floor with a loud thud. He looked around, but nobody was there.

He coughed as a cloud of dust came off the stairs. Waving his hand in front of him, he cleared the dust and started searching for a light switch. He found one bare bulb dangling from the ceiling. He clicked it on, sending a few rats scurrying away. He did a quick 360, finding the guitar case easily, as it was stashed upright in the top left corner.

Blowing the dust off of the case, he popped the case open to find an old Martin acoustic guitar sitting there, surrounded by red plush. A quick search of the case revealed guitar picks, a tuner and an extra set of strings. Satisfied, he snapped the case closed and headed back downstairs to his room, passing Logan on the way.

"About time Hank sent somebody up to retrieve that relic. Have fun with it," Logan said, ruffling Jedda's hair as he passed, his cigar still smoking.

Reaching his room, Jedda saw Kurt sitting on his bed, reading the same novel as before. "Ah, you did find it. Is it still intact?" He closed the book, sticking a bookmark in the pages to keep his place.

Jedda shrugged. "It's probably out tune, but the strings are still on it. Let's find out, shall we?" He set the case on his bed, unlatched it for the second time in who knows how long, and pulled the white guitar out, along with the tuner and a guitar pick. Turning the tuner on, he quickly tuned the instrument and was playing Led Zeppelin's _Stairway To Heaven_, causing Kurt to smile.

"I haven't heard that song in ages. My father used to play it all the time on his guitar. Brings back memories." He sank back into his pillow and closed his eyes, soaking up the song. Before he knew it, he was asleep.

Jedda heard the soft snoring coming from the blue elf and put the guitar back into the case, and stuck it in the corner. Changing into his bedclothes, he hopped into his own bed and sighed contentedly. Closing his eyes, he drifted into a dreamless sleep.

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Sorry it took so long to update guys! Been busy with other stories and whatnot. R & R!

Love, peace and chicken grease!

Dash


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